I can't find anything on the web about the Ft. Worth & Denver RR. I'm from Lubbock, TX and was a railfan of the FWD switch yard there. My favorite engine was old #404 switcher. It was sold for scrap in 1960 along with all the other steamers. Does anyone have any pics of FWD rolling stock they want to share?
Welcome to TrainBoard! I don't know much about the FW&D, either. It's a lot less known that the C&S. There was a name change about 1951, from Fort Worth & Denver City RY. It was quietly absorbed into BN about 1981. Using Burlington Lines paperwork and equipment, they seemed to lose identity. Boxcab E50
Some published references to the FW&D Boxcar FW&D 7201-7700 USRA single-sheathed similar to CB&Q XM-25 40' USRA-style single-sheath Z-brace listed 54 Reg. 458 extant pix FWD 7225 _MRRing_ May88 p.58 color FW&D #7393 end view 7-8 corrug _Santa Fe in the Lone Star State_ vol.1 p.36 pix FWD 7508 kla collection, bought NewBraunfels meet pix CB&Q XM-25 _MRRing_ Feb88 p.11 I built a model of FW&D XM-25 class boxcar #7595 using a Kadee/MicroTrains #28000 series car and a decal. Boxcar FW&D 8501-9250 40' ACF blt 1951 pix _MRRing_ Sept87 p.56 pix #8613 _Texas Almanac_ 1952-3 p.633 diagram Walthers _PLD_#1 p.7 (# not in 54 Reg) FWD #8521 1944 AAR 40' box from Deluxe Innovations, ad _N Scale_ NovDec97 p.2 Caboose Ft Worth & Denver #?, cupola, outside braced _NMRA Bulletin_ Jan74 p.14 "Sam Houston Zephyr" pix at Teague,TX _Mod RRer_ Nov94 p.97 "Sam Houston Zephyr" at Dallas "400,000 Miles by Rail" by Blanton p.100,110 "Sam Houston Zephyr" at Houston Union Station, morning, 1957, with Texas Chief, California Special, Ranger all in station at once, plus a MoPac train. _Santa Fe in the Lone Star State_ vol.1 p.19 Sam Houston Zephyr trainset mod pix Eagle Imports brass ModRRer Sep02 p.12
If you can find the book, Steve Allen Goen published the book "Fort Worth & Denver Color Pictorial" (ISBN 1-885614-12-8). I lucked out and found a copy at a used book store. Nice picture documentary of the last steam years and the diesel years up to the Burlington Northern merger. FW& D was pretty much unknown to me until then. Mark
Just for general info. FW&D was originally Ft. Worth & Denver City Railway (FW&DCRY). It's original plans were for a main line from Ft. Worth thru Childress then turn south at Estaline to Lubbock then continuing on to Denver City. The railroad and Lubbock could never agree on the right-of-way, so the Lubbock line became a branch line and the railroad main line went to Texline where it connect with C&S on to Denver - hence the name change.
I'm from Lubbock also. My father retired from the FW&D after 31 years, a few years before it was all combined into BN. I grew up with this railroad and am now planning to model a portion of it. I loved passenger trains, so will be incorporating that into my model layout.
This is incorrect. The plan all along was for the FW&DC/FW&D to go from Fort Worth to Denver, Colorado....called "Denver City" back in the day. Denver City, TX was founded in the late 1930's, some 55 years after the creation of the Fort Worth & Denver City Railroad Company.
Mr. Goen's book is definitely a good source of information and photos of the Fort Worth & Denver. Also highly recommended is "The Colorado Road": history, motive power, & equipment of the Colorado and Southern and Fort Worth and Denver Railways, (Hardcover) by F. Hol Wagner. If you want to model this railroad--in any era--these are must haves.
I would encourage all who have an interest in the FW&D or "The Denver Road" as it is also referred to, to also check out the FW&D Yahoo Group: TheDenverRoad : Fort Worth Denver Railway
Correction I believe you are correct. My father worked on the FW&D for 32 years including all of my childhood. I had been told this story by several different sources and assumed it was correct. After searching as much material as I can find, there is nothing to support my story. I apologize for the misinformation. As a Lubbock resident, it does make a great story though.
